NXP Semiconductors announced that its MIFARE Plus contactless microcontroller has been chosen by the Russian city of Sochi to power the Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) system of its ground transportation network during the 2014 Winter Olympics.

NXP is working with several partners to complete the system, including solution provider and equipment manufacturer Strikh-M, inlay manufacturer SMARTRAC and card manufacturer Novacard.

Serving Sochi’s population of 500,000 residents and one million tourists annually, the MIFARE Plus-based system is designed to improve operational efficiency by eliminating the need for cash. Instead, passengers will be able to purchase and fill up contactless travel cards and season tickets at automatic smart-card payment terminals.

This marks the first rollout of MIFARE Plus in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, according to NXP.